Has the Great North Run 2027 ballot been drawn?

When did the Great North Run 2027 September Ballot run?

The September Ballot for the 2027 race (Sunday 12 September 2027) closed 23:59 on Sunday 20 September 2026 and was drawn the next day, Monday 21 September 2026. greatrun.org confirms the ballot process is complete and every entrant has been sent an email confirming their result. No exact opening date was ever published on the organiser's page, only the close and the draw.

There is a second round for 2027. On 11 September 2026 greatrun.org confirmed that a second ballot will be held in January 2027, and the Great Run Company's chief executive told unsuccessful September applicants they will have another chance then, with final places confirmed after it. The January dates are not published yet; our Great North Run 2027 record carries them the day they are.

Why are there two ballots for one race?

Because the organiser runs it that way. The 2025-2026 cycle ran a September ballot around the previous year's race and then a general ballot the following January, and greatrun.org has confirmed the same shape for 2027.

For the 2026 race that meant two separate chances: a September 2025 round that opened at 08:00 on 3 September 2025, closed at midnight on 14 September 2025 and was drawn the next day, and a general ballot that closed at midnight on 11 January 2026 and was drawn on 12 January 2026. Both were free, and entering one did not stop you entering the other if the first did not come off.

So missing the September round does not mean a year's wait: the January 2027 ballot is the next chance for anyone who was not drawn, and a place won in September did not have to be chased again in January.

What does it cost to enter, and when am I charged?

Entering is free. The GBP 70 entry fee is only taken if you are selected.

The mechanic catches people out, so it is worth being precise. You lodge card details when you apply, and your bank may show an authorisation hold against the card while the ballot is live. That hold is not the fee. If you are drawn, the entry fee is taken from that card. If you are not drawn, nothing is charged and the hold is released. One catch from the organiser's own page: keep enough funds in the account through the draw date, because if you are drawn and the full payment cannot be taken, the entry is made unsuccessful.

What are my chances in the Great North Run ballot?

Unknown, and honestly so. The organiser does not publish how many ballot applications it receives, so any specific success rate you see quoted is somebody's guess.

The scale is public, though. The 2026 race has 63,000 places, the biggest field in the event's 45 years, and it is still oversubscribed. The organiser's own channels described the January 2026 round as its biggest ever. A race that grows its field and still has to run a draw is a race where the draw matters.

If you want the honest version of how to improve your position across any draw like this one, our guide on improving your ballot chances covers what genuinely helps and what does not.

What are the routes that skip the ballot?

Three, and each one costs something.

Great North Run membership carries guaranteed entry, so members do not enter the draw at all. Charity places are guaranteed in exchange for a fundraising commitment, which is a real obligation rather than a formality. Elite entry is by qualifying standard.

The ballot remains the only free route into the race, which is why it is worth entering it even if you are also talking to a charity.

What should I do next?

The September Ballot at greatrun.org closed 23:59 on Sunday 20 September 2026 and was drawn Monday 21 September; every entrant has been emailed their result. If you were not drawn, or missed the window, the January 2027 general ballot is the next chance: sign up for greatrun.org's reminder on the event page to be notified when it opens. Track that round from our Great North Run 2027 record, which we update the moment the organiser publishes the January 2027 ballot dates.

Everything on this page traces to the official Great Run pages and support articles listed below. We are not affiliated with the event, and we never charge for any of it.